Chair seat cushion



R. A. CRAMER CHAIR SEAT CUSHION Oct. 16, 1951 Filed May 19, 1947 Patented Oct. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT other CHAIR SEAT CUSHION Roy A. Cramer, Kansas City, Mo.

Application May 19, 1947, Serial No. 748,957

2 Claims.

This invention relates to chair cushions for use with chair seats, and more particularly to a resilient cushion which is so constructed and arranged as to be exceedingly comfortable when in use.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved chair seat cushion arranged in such a manner as to provide a comfortable support for'the human body and at the same time to avoid the creation of any uncomfortable and possibly injurious pressure conditions upon the nerves, blood vessels, etc. located within the crotch area.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chair seat cushion comprised wholly of latex foam, sponge rubber or other similar resilient material, which is constituted by a one-piece, unitary pad, so constructed and arranged as to avoid the pressure conditions referred to.

A still further object is to provide a resilient cushion of the foregoing character wherein the under surface of the cushion is provided with certain cut-away or relieved areas, thus securing a seat member which is readily deformable to conform to the body of the user, and avoid the creation of uncomfortable pressure conditions.

Other objects and novel features of the invention will appear more fully from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrative of one form of the invention. It will be expressly understood however, that the drawing is utilized for purposes of illustration only, and is not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawing, wherein similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a bottom plan view of a chair seat cushion embodying the principles of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the cushion taken substantially along line 22 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 1.

In the usual type of resilient chair seat cushion heretofore employed, the cushion has been formed of resilient material such as a sponge rubber composition or a latex foam, and the top and bottom surfaces thereof have been substantially flat and unbroken. With such prior constructions, it has been found, that with the cushion in use, the material of the cushion has a 2 tendency to deform and flow laterally and upwardly into the crotch area, due to the pressure caused by the weight of the occupant. This causes an uncomfortable and unnatural pressure upon areas of the lower pelvic region.

By the present invention, the aforesaid uncomfortable pressures are avoided by relieving a portion of the under surface of the seat cushion to form a centrally positioned channel or slot extending from a point adjacent the front edge of the cushion toward the rear edge thereof,

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the invention is illustrated therein as comprising a chair seat cushion l0 which in plan, is shaped in accordance with the shape of the conventional chair seat. Preferably, the cushion is made of latex foam, although it will be understood that any suitable resilient material such as a sponge rubber composition may be employed.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the under surface of g the cushion I0 is relieved or cut-away to form a centrally-arranged channel or slot 12, extending from a point adjacent the front edge M to a point adjacent the rear edge I6 of the cushion. As will also be observed from Fig. 2, the depth of the slot is less than the thickness of the cushion so that the top surface of the latter is unbroken. If desired, the front end of the slot l2 may terminate in an enlarged well or cavity [8, in order to provide a greater relief of pressure conditions at the forward portion of the crotch area when the cushion is in use. In the form shown, it will be seen that the under surface of the cushion is also provided with a plurality of spaced-apart Wells 20 which terminate short of the top surface, this construction having been found to increase the effectiveness and comfort of the cushion when in use.

In operation, it will be understood that the cushion I0 is mounted upon a suitable chair seat or seat plate 22, and covered with a suitable type of cover, not shown. Thereafter, when the occupant is seated upon the cushion, it will be understood that the latex foam of the cushion deforms and flows laterally. Due to the slot construction l2, this lateral flow of the cushion material is permitted, without any tendency of the material to bunch-up and flow upwardly in the central portion of the cushion. Thus all uncomfortable and unnatural pressure conditions in the crotch area are entirely eliminated.

While it is contemplated that the chair cushion disclosed herein may be formed by molding in molds shaped to provide the wells 20, slot I2 and ordinary chair, the upper surface of said body being substantially flat and unbrokemthe under surface of said body being provided with a cutaway portion defining an open slot arranged midway between the side edges ofthe body, said slot throughout its length extending from the under surface of the body upwardly but terminating short of the upper surface of the body to leave a body portion of substantially uniform thickness between the upper surface of the body and the top of the slot, and said slot terminating short of thefront and rear edges-of the body and being provided with an enlarged well at its front end, the slotprovidinga substantial area allowingslateral fiow of thexlatex foam to prevent bunching and upward-flow of thelatex foam in the central portion of the body under the pressures created by a personseated on the cushion.

2. Asan article of manufacture, a chair seat cushion comprisinga body of latex foam corresponding in size' andi shape with' the seat of an ordinary chair, said body having: opposite side edges, opposite frontand rear edges, a flat under surface,- and a substantially fiat and unbroken upper surface, said under surface being provided with a cut-away portion defining an open slot arranged midway between said side edges, said slot throughout its length extending from the under surface of the body upwardly but terminating short of the upper surface of the body to leave a body portion of substantially uniform thickness between the upper surface of the body and the top of the slot and said slot terminating short of the front and rear edges of the body, the body providinga cushionedsupport for a seated person and the' slot being relatively narrow and providing an area allowing lateral flow of the latex foam to prevent bunching and upward flow of the latex foam in the central portion of the body under the pressures created by the seated person.

ROY A. CRANIER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this: patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Mar. 2, 1933 France Sept. 4, 1933 France .May 14, 1934 Number Number 

